Only one of the teams with the 11 worst records who played on Sunday won. This means the franchises who were already closer to the No. 1 overall pick than a playoff spot came one step closer to a full organizational reset. This has to be music to Bill Belichick’s ears as he plots his way back to an NFL head coaching job in 2025.
Belichick didn’t get a chance to narrow the gap between himself and Don Shula’s all-time coaching wins record this season. But he’s expected to be among the top NFL coaching candidates in 2025, and there’s one franchise the future Hall of Fame head coach has been heavily linked to.
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Bill Belichick linked to Jacksonville Jaguars’ expected coaching vacancy
One of the teams that lost and fell to 2-9 on Sunday is the Jacksonville Jaguars who now are in position to land the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Except, unlike many other franchises with an uncertain future, the Jaguars already have their quarterback with Trevor Lawrence.
This means if the Jaguars land the No. 1 pick, they can focus on drafting the best player available, like Colorado’s Travis Hunter, or auction off the selection to the highest bidder. But who will be coaching the team? Chances are, it won’t be Doug Pederson, who fell to 20-25 as the Jaguars’ head coach with Sunday’s loss.
If/when Pederson gets kicked out of the facility, the Jaguars coaching rumors will ramp up, and Jacksonville has increasingly been linked to future Hall of Famer Bill Belichick.
“As we wait to find out what the Jaguars do next, keep in mind Bill Belichick wants to be a head coach again and the Jaguars should be viewed as a potential destination. I’m told it’s highly unlikely that a partnership with GM Trent Baalke would take place, per sources.”
The Athletic’s Dianna Russini on Bill Belichick and the Jacksonville Jaguars
Others have suggested a Belichick-Baalke pairing would make sense, especially since the two overlapped with the New York Jets from 1998-99. Yet, that was over two decades ago, and there may be a reason the two haven’t worked together since.
It’s unknown whether Belichick would seek any roster control or GM duties as he looks to get back in the NFL head coaching chair, but it only seems like a matter of time before he’s back in the league.
Related: Identifying top Jacksonville Jaguars coaching candidates to replace Doug Pederson in 2025